Still Life in a Pantry

1628
Jeremie Plume

Still life was one of the most popular genres in Europe during the 17th century, figuring worthily in private collections alongside landscapes and genre scenes. Its decorative character should not mask its allegorical meaning, which refers to abundance but also to the transience of nature and human vanity. The quarter of beef and the items of game thus prompt a meditation on death just as the bread and wine evoke the divine presence. The strength of this painting lies not in its subject but in its rendering and visual effect.